Any advice for a new momma goose?

[Nikoi Gryphon]

Well, Saturday I kind of got a "surprise!" when I woke up- it was a gosling. I've had two goslings before- and years ago we had a goose we got as an adult. (He was the sweetest thing, really) However when I tried raising two Toulouse goslings a couple years ago, they both eventually died. (They died at differing ages and it broke my heart, Albert</3)

I'm not lets say... Prepared for a gosling (I didn't have no idea I was getting one so..) And I'd rather not make the same mistakes as last time, so I'd really really appreciate some advice on raising a gosling.

Right now I have him(Her?) in a box with a lamp over half of it- pieces of paper as the bedding with paper towels laid over top. As I said; wasn't prepared, so I've been feeding it mostly Lettuce, a little bit of fruit, some bell pepper pieces and tomato's- It also gets some kind of crumble, its the kind that is bought for my duck and I have No idea what kind it is. (And there isn't a possible way to get anything else until probably the weekend)

My question(s) is- Should I be feeding it veggies and fruit? It looks to be about a weekish old, it is a Brown Chinese I believe.
If I do keep feeding it Vegetables and fruit, do I need to give it some kind of grit?

Also, its the only gosling at the moment- however I might get it a friend because everyone needs a friend, right?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well, Saturday I kind of got a "surprise!" when I woke up- it was a gosling. I've had two goslings before- and years ago we had a goose we got as an adult. (He was the sweetest thing, really) However when I tried raising two Toulouse goslings a couple years ago, they both eventually died. (They died at differing ages and it broke my heart, Albert</3)

I'm not lets say... Prepared for a gosling (I didn't have no idea I was getting one so..) And I'd rather not make the same mistakes as last time, so I'd really really appreciate some advice on raising a gosling.

Right now I have him(Her?) in a box with a lamp over half of it- pieces of paper as the bedding with paper towels laid over top. As I said; wasn't prepared, so I've been feeding it mostly Lettuce, a little bit of fruit, some bell pepper pieces and tomato's- It also gets some kind of crumble, its the kind that is bought for my duck and I have No idea what kind it is. (And there isn't a possible way to get anything else until probably the weekend)

My question(s) is- Should I be feeding it veggies and fruit? It looks to be about a weekish old, it is a Brown Chinese I believe.
If I do keep feeding it Vegetables and fruit, do I need to give it some kind of grit?

Also, its the only gosling at the moment- however I might get it a friend because everyone needs a friend, right?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Same basic needs even though this is duckling care sheet. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711 it's okay to feed fruit and veggies to your gosling but it needs grit to be able to chew it's food other than the crumble. and if you are feeding duckling crumble then you don't need extra niacin but if it's chick feed then it will need niacin added to it's water because chick feed doesn't have adequate amt for gosling/ducklings. And yes it will do much better with a friend and the faster the better. don't keep it on bedding that is slick our it can develop leg problems. either old clean towels that can be washed and used again or rubber shelf liner or shaving with shelf liner over top. flake shavings not fine. and not cedar. pine is best. It your weather is nice and warm you can take the lil gosling out side for some grazing on your grass too. grazing is very important to geese. Congrats on your new baby and when you get time post some pics we always enjoy baby pics. and

 

[Nikoi Gryphon]

Thank you a lot! I'm trying my best and you've helped me a bunch Here are some baby pictures

This is from when I first got him Didn't know any better so he was on paper.. Changed that right after I read your post (I'm replying kind of late, sorry ^^)

I haven't been able to get him a new box after his friends took the last one so its kind of icky. I've been trying to keep up on his bedfing but he poops so much for a little tyke! xD

 

[RugenerGooser]

Thank you a lot!

I'm trying my best and you've helped me a bunch

Here are some baby pictures

This is from when I first got him Didn't know any better so he was on paper.. Changed that right after I read your post

(I'm replying kind of late, sorry ^^)

I haven't been able to get him a new box after his friends took the last one so its kind of icky. I've been trying to keep up on his bedfing but he poops so much for a little tyke! xD

Cute baby! The thing about newspaper, too...they just will not leave it alone! They want to tear it up and try to eat it. They are like toddlers, and they know what their doing. you tell them NO, BABY! and have to chase them around and scold them and take it away from them. Don't try sitting reading the newspaper with them...LOL! They will try to steal it from you, and your pen, your glasses, tug on your pants for attention. Ducklings and goslings are fun! It doesn't matter how old they are, they are all fun! A friend would definitely be good, though the baby is already imprinting on you, I would guess. Is the duck at all friendly to the gosling? I raised some of my American Buff and Grey Pomeranian goslings with some Pekin ducklings I had that were a day older than the goslings. They just had to have it that way. The goslings are very protective of the ducks now (all three months old) and if you mess with their ducks there will be a gang riot. They even keep Great Pyrenees in their place, but love their dogs. You can put more shavings in the box if you need to. I'll get on later and see if I can offer some more info.

January

 

[RURU]

No matter what you do about the poopie they do nothing but eat drink and poop!!! That what gosling babies are all about.

Gosling do well on dandoline greens it is great for them so if you can go pick the greens for the little one. Grass is great to give them because that will be pretty much the main thing they will be eating outside besides they waterfowl growth crumble food. They also love romaine, kale, turnip greens, tomatoes, peas, watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, cut up apples, grapes red or green. No spinach too much iron for them will block them up. Cabbage. IF you feed it to them they will tell you what they do and do not like!

 

[RugenerGooser]

No matter what you do about the poopie they do nothing but eat drink and poop!!! That what gosling babies are all about.

Gosling do well on dandoline greens it is great for them so if you can go pick the greens for the little one. Grass is great to give them because that will be pretty much the main thing they will be eating outside besides they waterfowl growth crumble food. They also love romaine, kale, turnip greens, tomatoes, peas, watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, cut up apples, grapes red or green. No spinach too much iron for them will block them up. Cabbage. IF you feed it to them they will tell you what they do and do not like!

You are so right! I have a momma in her house with seven new ducklings and eight more eggs ready to hatch at the moment. She is so funny. Every time one starts hatching, she calls me to come and see. As soon as it is out of the egg, she calls me again to come and see. Jacob and Leah are proud parents. They are already trying to eat her kale, so I am going back outside and cutting some grass up small for them to sprinkle in their waterer. RURU has pretty good advice, she is good to learn from. One list I read said everything above was bad for waterfowl, and I was dumbfounded. The only thing I stopped feeding which was in small amounts and rare to begin with was spinach, and then RURU brought it up and I looked into it further and agreed with her and not the small quantity advice. When I used to raise Canada Geese, they would always like to pick at each other, and watermelon worked like a charm to get them to stop. They are crazy about it. Where are you getting your Niacin when you have to put in the the starter? I am going to start using Mazuri as the birds are older, but waterfowl anything is hard to find. I also use Rooster Booster products and they are good and put probiotic and vitamins and electrolytes in the water that they first start drinking.

As far as the doodie, your baby's box looked pretty tidy for a baby goose that poops alot. LOL!